Italy introduces quarantine for EU travellers
The Italian government is to introduce a mandatory five-day quarantine for EU travellers amid a third wave of infections in a number of countries. Previously, only arrivals from outside the bloc had to self-isolate. Tuesday’s decision comes as new rules requiring all air passengers to Germany to provide a negative coronavirus test come into effect. Germany remains under a partial lockdown but coronavirus cases continue to rise.
On Tuesday, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced that the country would increase checks on its land borders to ensure compliance with the new rules. Germany’s restrictions on travellers were first announced on Friday as the head of the country’s RKI public health institute warned that the number of daily cases could rise to 100,000 if the third wave continues. In a separate development on Tuesday, the city of Berlin announced it was halting the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab for people under 60 as a “precaution” after 31 cases of blood clots were reported in Germany following vaccinations. According to German news agency DPA, two hospitals in the capital had already stopped offering the vaccine to women under 55 because of the risk of blood clots.
The news comes after Canada’s vaccine committee announced it would stop the use of Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs in people aged 55 and under, pending an investigation into the rare side effects. Earlier this month, however, the European medicines regulator found that the vaccine was “not associated” with an increased risk of blood clots after a number of countries temporarily halted its rollout. The body also confirmed that the benefits of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine outweighed any risks, after reviewing evidence.(BBC)…[+]